DNS Tools

Every time that we open up a website, the DNS system is what powers everything, turning the domain name into an IP address and then placing it on the correct server. For that, the DNS system relies on several DNS settings, also known as DNS records, which every domain has and which point to its specific location in the vast web server network. And while before owning a domain name was seen as a privilege only for the tech savvy, today almost everybody has a website and this has increased the need to manage and control the DNS settings. As always happens with need, there is something to meet it - the DNS tools.

DNS Tools

There is a variety of freely distributed online DNS tools that can provide useful information to anyone who is interested in finding out certain DNS details for particular domain names. Those tools can be very helpful for both webmasters who perform DNS management operations and regular users who just need to make an online inquiry about the IP address of a given domain name. Through a DNS tool all users have free access to information that is otherwise hidden from the public Internet space.

There are two types of DNS tools - online based and desktop based. The most popular DNS tool is the DNS lookup search tool, which performs domain name/hostname lookups, returning the domain's corresponding IP address. To use it, you simply need to specify the domain name you wish to locate the IP address for and hit the action button. If you wish to perform a reverse DNS search action - you will need to make use of a Reverse DNS tool, which determines the domain name/hostname associated with a specified IP address.

Online based DNS tools

The online based DNS tools are very useful when you wish to make a quick lookup for the general DNS records of a domain name. They also provide the information in an easy to read manner. Another advantage is that online DNS tools are located on different servers all over the world, which gives you the chance to check what the DNS records of your domain name are, as seen from different locations.

We have prepared a simple DNS lookup tool for you. Simply enter the domain name in the desired field, type in the security code and click on the "Check Records" button.

We have also a WHOIS lookup tool, which will help you to quickly find all the available WHOIS information for a domain name. Have in mind that in some cases, the WHOIS information can be hidden by an ID protection service and will not appear when queried with a WHOIS lookup tool.

Desktop DNS tools - Unix

There are several DNS lookup tools, depending on the operating system which you are using. In most Unix-based systems, these tools are integrated in the terminal. A very popular tool is the "dig" command.

Examples with 'dig' for Host Query under Linux and Mac

Examples with 'dig' for Domain Query under Linux and Mac

Examples with 'dig' for Multiple Queries under Linux and Mac

You can produce multiple queries per command line so long as each of them is clearly specified and distinguished.

Another useful command for Unix-based systems is the "host" command. When used without any additional parameters, it will query just for the A record of the domain name.

An example with 'host' in Linux

The "host" command can also be made to query the complete DNS information with the "-a" parameter.

An example with 'host -a' in Linux

Desktop DNS tools - Microsoft Windows

In Windows, a very popular way of checking for a domain's DNS settings is the "nslookup" command. It can be accessed via the Windows command prompt, which is accessible from the Accessories section in the Windows Start menu. As an alternative, you can start it by typing "cmd" in the "Run" section of the Windows Start menu. As a quick shortcut, you can use the Windows Key + R.

An example with 'nslookup' in Microsoft Windows

An example with 'nslookup' & MX records in Microsoft Windows

An example with 'nslookup' & Names Servers (NS) in Microsoft Windows

Other DNS tools

Other useful DNS tools include: DNS Timing - gives an estimate on how much time will be needed for a particular domain name DNS lookup search to be performed; DNS Report - a diagnostic domain name report generator, providing details on the domain's DNS status and identifying problems if there are any; ISP Cached DNS - performs a single lookup on the major ISP Name servers to find any cached DNS data for the specified domain name.